1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical shifting device for a vehicle in which the shifting device includes a shift lever and an actuator which activates and deactivates a shift lock for the shift lever.
2. Background Art
An electrical shifting device having a shift lever is used in a vehicle having an automatic transmission. A motor or the like carries out the actual shifting procedure of the shifting device whereas the particular shifting intention (i.e., shifting state) of the shifting device by an operator (such as the driver of the vehicle) is electrically detected based on the position of the shift lever. In an automatic transmission, the shifting device together with the shift lever and possibly also rocker switches on the steering wheel for gearing up and down are provided in the vehicle for the operator.
A shift lever may have either a multi-stable or mono-stable design. A shift lever having a multi-stable design is movable between multiple fixed positions. A shift lever having a mono-stable design functions like a joystick having a single neutral position to which the shift lever returns from each of a number of unstable positions.
In either case it may be desirable, depending on the currently selected shifting state, to exclude certain shifting states from the next selection. With a linear chain of possible shifting states, for example, it is advantageous to indicate when the selection options in a shifting direction have been used up. As the detection and processing of particular shifting states are performed electronically, certain shifting states can be excluded by the underlying shifting logic.
For ergonomics it is advantageous for the operator of the shifting device to directly receive haptic feedback indicative of shifting states (i. e., shifting functions) which are not selectable at a given time. Typically, locks or stops which cooperate with the shift lever provide such feedback.
EP 1 464 875 A1 (corresponding to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0194567) describes a shifting device having a shift lever and an actuating device. The actuating device is able to deactivate a shift lock for the shift lever such that the shift lever is pivotable over the shift position defined by the shift lock. The actuating device has a relatively complex design and includes a toggle switch and an actuator for actuating the toggle switch.